Help! - Contacts seem to be corrupted??

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Agamemnon - 24 Jan 2006 20:57 GMT

I recently upgraded from W98 to XP, and didnt appreciate the significance of
separate XP users each having their own outlook .pst files. I simply copied
my saved .pst file into the location where the freshly installed outlook
saved its .pst file.

Initially, everything was fine for user 'A' (i.e. me!) but when user ''B'
logged on and opened Outlook we were surprised to see that there were no
folders set up. That's when the penny dropped that you need a separate .pst
folder for each user.

I tried to copy/import the pst file across to user B's I'm not exactly sure
how I got into this situation (import .pst file versus copying my previously
backed up .pst file...?) but basically my inbox/outbox/sent folders are all
OK, for both computer users) and all the contacts seem to be OK, but when I
select 'To' in a new email I get an error message '"the address list could
not be displayed. The contacts folder associated with this address list could
not be opened. It may have been moved or deleted, or you do not have
permissions...". I do not understand this because I can see the contacts
folder and its contents. I have using the backup tool and opening a backed-up
.pst file then copying/pasting the contacts, also opening a backed up .pst
file using the 'data management option' but really I am just scrabbling about
as I dont understand how outlook manages its contacts/address books. I am
running Outlook 2002.

I dont want to lose any of my emails, so I am worried that any .pst file
will now contain this error so there is no way back.

Help!
When I sort this problem out, I wouild also like to know what I have to do
so that outlook runs quite happily under user A and user B, with no conflicts.

Reply to this Message

Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook] - 24 Jan 2006 21:37 GMT

As long as your Contacts are there, you're fine.
Whenever you change your data file, you have to reconfigure the Outlook
Address Book. It's still looking for the one you used previously. Always
tell Outlook what you've done. It can't read minds.
http://home.indy.rr.com/russval/addressbook.htm#Lose

Signature

Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

>I recently upgraded from W98 to XP, and didnt appreciate the significance
>of
[quoted text clipped - 37 lines]
> so that outlook runs quite happily under user A and user B, with no
> conflicts.

Reply to this Message

Agamemnon - 24 Jan 2006 22:47 GMT

Thanks - I've gort my contacts back. The advice in the link you posted was a
bit vague (in the sense that it said to check this and that, but all those
checks proved OK on my system) , but reading between the lines I then removed
both the outlook address book and the personal address book from the email
account(s) (with fingers crossed, because I had no idea if I would be able to
add them again!!!) and then added them again. I do not understand the
difference between the two address books, I wonder why you need two?
Anyway thanks once again.

> As long as your Contacts are there, you're fine.
> Whenever you change your data file, you have to reconfigure the Outlook
[quoted text clipped - 42 lines]
> > so that outlook runs quite happily under user A and user B, with no
> > conflicts.

Reply to this Message

Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook] - 24 Jan 2006 23:05 GMT

You don't need both.
The instructions are not vague. You never mentioned the presence of a
Personal Address Book nor why it is present. No instructions would include
any mention of a PAB. Outlook has not used a PAB for 7 years and there is
most certainly no reason you should be. There is more to your story than
you've told, and we can't read minds.

Signature

Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

> Thanks - I've gort my contacts back. The advice in the link you posted was
> a
[quoted text clipped - 65 lines]
>> > so that outlook runs quite happily under user A and user B, with no
>> > conflicts.

Reply to this Message